Let the knife to do the work…

When you read about how to cook you will often read the phrase “when cutting, let the knife do the work.” There is, however, a single word missing that changes everything; it should read let the sharp knife do the work.” One word, big difference.

The right tool, set up correctly

During this pandemic I have finally learned how to sharpen knives⁽¹⁾ by hand for when I cook something yummy for my wife and I; let’s talk about how to “sharpen your models.”⁽²⁾

Model configuration: every model in Simulink has a set of parameters that defines how it executes and how code is generated.⁽³⁾ Fortunately there is a simple utility that allows you to configure your model parameters for your target behavior.

You must specify basic behavior such as time domain, step size, and the target hardware. But once that is done, the balance of your configuration is handled through the specifications of your objectives.

Data settings: from your parameters to your signals, configuring your data creates more efficient and more controlled generated code. Consider setting the data type, storage class, and possibly units.

Block selection: mixing model domains such as discrete and continuous time blocks can result in sub-optimal performance. If multiple domains are required, partition the domains off using atomic boundaries

Final thoughts

These are of course just a slice⁽⁴⁾ of the type of configuration you should consider when setting up your model. Ideally there is a group that is responsible for the basic set up and maintenance of your working environment. This should extend to all of the tools in your development process. For more in depth information on these tools, take a look at the CI, and version control posts in this blog.

Footnotes

Please note, this is not a product endorsement, it is a process endorsement. Also, we don’t have the “stropping block” but I always thought it looks more fun to have the corded strop.
Note, this isn’t a perfect analogy as when you sharpen your configuration you are done for the project, unlike knives that need regular re-sharpening.
When we were first developing this tool I asked the question: How many configuration parameters does a Simulink model have, 113, 178, 238, 312? The correct answer was all of the above depending on the baseline configuration settings. As you can see, this tool is very useful.
Okay, I couldn’t resist one last knife reference for the post.